Here's Janis:
These days, Facebook is a part of life for many people. It is a way to communicate daily events and stay in touch with others.
Many agents (like myself) use our Facebook business page as well as our personal profile page to increase brand awareness. Lots of us also post photos of homes we tour and list.
Any time we post said pictures, it should be done with the permission of the owners and should never compromise a deal.
A buyer that is touring homes recently asked if they could take photos of the home to show a family member something specific in the house. This particular home was almost empty and I knew it would not be a problem. I told him that it would be okay if; 1). he did not take photos of the owners personal belonging and 2). he did not share the photos on Facebook or any social media.
Whenever I'm touring a home with a buyer, I ask them not to post photos on social media for the following reasons:
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It violates the owners privacy:
Our cell phones take some rather wonderful photos these days, and preventing buyers who tour homes from snapping a few photos is almost impossible. I take a proactive stance to this by bringing up the topic when we tour our first home together, as I like to make sure they understand the rules early on. As an agent I just don't really care if my buyers take photos, but I do care about what they do with them after the fact. My motto: NO posting to social media. NO exceptions! I remind my clients that the house we are touring is someone else's home and should not be posted on Facebook or any other form of social media. -
It can compromise a deal when you put in an offer:
The second thing I tell clients is that during the buying process it is super important not to compromise their purchase by publicly discussing anything about the buying process because it could cost them dearly when negotiating a deal. In general, people share way too much personal information about themselves and about their finances. Doing so can dramatically hurt the negotiation process and compromise a deal when buying a home.
A gentle reminder has proven most helpful in my dealings with clients. Some get so excited when they find that perfect home that they want to take home a few of their own photos to view. To that, I say no problem, just keep them off Facebook.
A picture is worth a thousand words, but waiting until after move-in day is the best plan. There is plenty of time to share all those photos of your new home after you move in!
Learn more about Janis on her website, myhudsonvalleyproperties.com.
What do you think: is it okay for buyers to post photos on social media? Why or why not?
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